


I'm Proud of You

by IppyEpiphany



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Female Player Character (Hogwarts Mystery), Hogwarts Third Year, Video Game: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-05-31 13:18:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15120230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IppyEpiphany/pseuds/IppyEpiphany
Summary: It's your third year at Hogwarts but you don't feel like you're any closer in finding your missing brother, Jacob Rosier. Despite the fact that you have made several new friends and even though your own cousin, Felix Rosier, is in your same House, you've never felt more alone. That is, until you get to know your fellow Slytherin... Barnaby Lee.





	I'm Proud of You

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever fanfiction, please don't hurt me. :'D
> 
> Sorry some of the dialogue is awkward, I was trying to take a lot of it directly from the game and somehow still work with the story.

~*~

  
"Read any good books lately, Rosier?" a familiar, raspy voice calls from behind as you're leaving the library. You turn to face Merula Snyde, whom you haven't seen since you dropped a particularly massive Dungbomb on in the castle courtyard on her and her friends a week back.

  
Lingering smells aside, you think it to be humorous that your rival's appearance since your first year at Hogwarts hasn't changed much during the entire time you've known this fellow Slytherin. Merula's hair is still the same short and messy dark brown, with that one area a tacky orange color, as if she tried to bleach a streak of her locks but failed miserably. Her thick, furrowed eyebrows hide what could possibly be pretty eyes, and her hastily applied eyeshadow doesn't help.

  
"I suppose that's where you think you'll find the next Cursed Vault, huh?", she taunts.

  
Laughing nonchalantly, you reply, "Why are you following me around, Snyde? You finally got tired of ordering poor Barnaby to spy on me _for_ you? Do you not have anything _better_ to do or are you just jealous that your old accomplice Tulip is on my team now?"

  
"I don't care about you or any of your stupid friends," she spits defensively.

  
"Listen. Do whatever you need to do, Merula. I'm gonna talk to my new friend, _Tulip._ "

  
"Sure... I have plans with Barnaby today anyways."

  
"Why on earth would you think I'd ever care about that?"

  
"Hmm, maybe you don't," she sing-songs condescendingly. "But I do know he cares greatly about you walking around school with Bill the other day. The idiot seemed to have thought... well, I guess it doesn't matter now anyways."

  
You grit your teeth in annoyance and turn away from her.

  
_I don't have time for your stupid games, Merula._

  
~*~

  
Back inside your brother's secret room, Tulip Karasu lowers her voice as she pulls strands of her fiery red hair behind her pale ear, "Be careful, Rosier. I saw Merula trying to snoop around in the corridor earlier."

  
You grumble, "Yeah, what else is new. We have more important things to worry about now, though. Let's get to looking around this mess. There has to be another clue around here somewhere that'll help us find that vault... and what happened to my brother."

  
Only about ten minutes of searching the chaotic, dusty room goes by and you notice Tulip staring at you rather peculiarly. You raise your eyebrow, "What is it? Something on my face?"

  
"No, no... maybe something in your head, though."

  
" _What?_ "

  
"Nothing. Hey, listen. I've been thinking... I might have a solution to our Merula problem. You said she... like, I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate or anything, but Barnaby likes you, right?"

  
"About as much as he would like the next girl that would help him cheat in Potion's, I suppose. Look, it's not like we went on a date or anything. I just helped him out in class. I didn't want Snape to yell at our whole table because of his recklessness."

  
"Yeah, I hear that. But... okay, listen, he's certainly not the brightest wizard I've ever met, but... he seems... nice. Too nice to be working with Merula. And he's strong, I've seen him duel before, Rosier. He's probably the toughest wizard in our year. Some of the first-years are even spreading rumors that he's fought a troll before with his bare hands. But all that aside... he knows Merula better than anyone."

  
Your can feel your chest tighten slightly with an unexpected twinge of jealousy. Tulip seems to take notice of the discomfort on your face and smiles mischievously.

  
"What are you getting at," you respond in a defensive tone.

  
Tulip shrugs innocently, "Nothing terrible. I just think you could probably persuade him to join our cause, is all. I mean, we could use his help, and it will make it easier to stay one step ahead of Merula."

  
You roll your eyes, "And exactly how am I supposed to do that?"

  
"Look, I know firsthand how tiresome it gets when Merula is ordering you around all day. She was my best friend in our first year, trust me, she sucks the energy straight out of you. She's like a leech. I'm sure Barnaby is getting sick of it too... besides, he wouldn't walk with you to Transfiguration Class every Thursday after Potions if he wasn't at least a little bit friendly towards you, right?"

  
"H-how did you even know about that? Your classes are on the other side of the castle. Besides... it's just convenient. Like, I dunno, w-we go to both classes together, it just makes sense," you stammer.

  
Tulip laughs, "Oh please, nearly everyone's talking about it. Nothing goes unnoticed at Hogwarts and you know how much Penny likes to gossip.  Look, I'm not trying to make fun of you, honest. You know me, I'm simply an opportunist. And I just see a... golden one right in front of us. Maybe you could just open your eyes a bit and see it too."

  
~*~

  
You make your way to the Great Hall, stomach ridden with anxiety. You have no idea where to even look for the tall, athletic Slytherin boy, much less knew what to say to him.

  
But as if by some magic, you hear a voice from behind you, "Rosier?" You spin around at the familiar sound of... Barnaby Lee.

  
Barnaby's spiky, dark brown hair contrasts with his pale skin and piercing emerald eyes that send a slight shiver over you. The boy is actually quite attractive. Sturdy and broad, reaching about the same height as Bill Weasley, despite being years younger. You lower your gaze to notice he's wearing three handmade silver rings on his right hand, and a silver bracelet on his left.  
  
_Charming._

  
"Oh, hey, long time," you laugh nervously. "Um, sorry about last week... in the Courtyard. I hope you didn't take it personally."

  
"I smell like a Dungbomb," he says bluntly, looking at you with accusing eyes. Even though the prank you pulled on Merula's gang was several days ago, there's still a slight lingering odor of magical creature manure and a hint of... boiled eggs?

  
You try your best to search for comforting words, but you have nothing. "Oh, it's really not that bad. You smell fine to me---"

  
"I've had more baths since I got hit with that Dungbomb than I've had in my whole life and I still stink."

  
You can't just lie to his face like this, you can tell he's hurt and the guilt overwhelms you, "I know, B. I'm sorry. It was a stupid idea, I was just hellbent on getting back at Merula." You sigh heavily, "Do... do you want to get out of here? Walk with me? I know it's probably the last thing you want to do, but..."

  
He looks down to you with his bright green eyes and finally nods after a moment of consideration. His eyebrows are furrowed, as if he was silently trying to tell you that he felt betrayed by you, without actually admitting it. You take his arm, ignoring the distinct odor that you trapped him with for this passed week. Watching the other students hold their noses, the two of you walk passed them to head outside. Although you're not particularly bothered, you can tell that he is.

  
"Hey, B. I'm so, so sorry. This whole thing just got really out of control. I never wanted it to be like this," you explain as you make your way down the corridor with him. "And... forgive me for asking, it's probably the worst time to do so, but... Barnaby, do you like working for Merula?"

  
The question seems to catch him off guard. "Well, I mean, she never gassed me with a Dungbomb, that's for sure. But I don't work for her. We're... partners."

  
You're suddenly overcome with protectiveness, maybe even jealousy, and find yourself blurting out, "But has she ever let you make a _single_ decision? Does she ever share her plans with you? Has she ever thanked you for... for _anything?!_ " You can feel your heart begin to race.

  
_Why am I feeling this way?_

  
"The rain," he whispers gently, looking to the sky as you both reach the outdoors. You look up to follow his gaze, storm clouds are approaching and you can feel a rumble from the darkening grey sky. "Wait, what was the last thing you said?" he asks absent-mindedly.

  
"I want you to work with us instead of Merula, Barnaby."

  
Silence.

  
The two of you walk together without a word for a while, but despite the nature of your outing you begin to actually enjoy yourself. Even through the smell and lack of conversation this has honestly been the most comfortable you've been in weeks. His arm is warm and muscular, as if it was just inviting you to rest your head on it as the two of you sit down in the castle courtyard by the fountain.

  
He speaks slowly, "Rosier, I just... don't get it. You're brilliant. You're the _Curse-Breaker_. Why do you think someone like me can help you? Chasing these vaults is like solving riddles, I'm just no good at that sort of thing. I'm a do-er, not a solver. Even Merula says I'm nearly worthless."

  
"Barnaby, I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that. And believe me, I know how hard it is to find and enter a Cursed Vault. But... you know what I keep hearing around school? About _you_?"

  
"What, that I'm an idiot? Trust me, I hear it all the time--"

"No. That you're the most powerful wizard in our year. All the first-years are talking about you and your talent. You don't think that means something?"

  
He falls silent again for a few moments, which worries you, "Are... are you alright, Big B?"

  
"Just thinking about your words."

  
"Barnaby, this is my promise to you. I want you here, in my group, with _me_. I won't boss you around. I won't call you names. I'm not like Merula, I just want your help---"

  
"I like you, Rosier," he interrupts. "A lot. More than I think I should." Your feel as if your heart stops in your chest completely. Before you have a chance to reply, or even begin to think of how to reply, he continues, "We should fight."

  
You take your head off his shoulder, "Um, _excuse me?_ "

  
"Rosier, I need to prove I'm tough enough to help you, and you need to prove to me that you're tough enough to be my new partner," he smiles. "If you're really not like Merula, you'll respect me enough to duel me. You'll see me as an equal."

  
"Umm--"

  
"Meet me on the Training Grounds tomorrow after class. If you beat me in a duel, I'll ditch Merula and help you enter the next vault," he says as he stands up, leaving you sitting on the fountain edge by yourself. He takes hold of your hand gently before he goes, "Is it a date?"

  
You nod apprehensively, completely at a loss for words as he kisses your hand and walks away. While you're still processing what exactly just happened, out of nowhere Tulip plops down right next to you. " _Phew!_ I can still smell him, _bleh._ How'd it go?"

  
"I... I think I have might have a boyfriend."

  
~*~

  
The next day, you walk out onto the Training Grounds and you notice Barnaby is already standing in the middle of the walkway in between two of the castle piers. When he sees you walk towards him, he scratches his head nervously and pulls something small out of his pocket as he approaches you.

  
"Uh, here. I'm not good at picking out flowers or delicate things like that. But... I thought you'd think this was cool," he says softly, obviously anxious of your reaction as he drops what appears to be a large creature's tooth on a chain into your hand. "Uh, it's a fang from a giant serpent. Not venomous or anything anymore, it's cleaned, so it's safe. I put the cap and chain on myself in class."

  
You take it slowly, looking him in his normally-intimidatingly bright eyes. But in this moment... he looks vulnerable, maybe even scared. Not because of the duel, but because of how you're going to react to the gift.

  
"It's beautiful," you whisper. Behind you, you can hear both Penny and Tulip giggle together. You shoot a "don't you dare" look at your friends before you properly inspect the jewelry. The fang is about the size of your finger, but the most impressive part of the piece is how well the cap is placed. There is even crude, simple, but heartfelt engraving along the edges.

  
"You're... you're really good with your hands," you look back up at him.

  
He clears his throat, "Well, I didn't need the fang anyways. I have its partner, so it's not a big deal. I mean, it can be if you want it to be, but do whatever you want with it. Anyway, uh, like I said... I... I like you, Rosier. You're nice to me. Even with the bomb, I deserved that. I was a jerk, I shouldn't have threatened to, uh, vanish your bones."

  
You giggle, "It's okay, Barnaby. Sometimes we say things we don't mean, _do_ things we don't mean... I'm sorry to pull that prank on you. I really regret it."

  
"Not just because you're standing this close to me?"

  
"Well, partially," you laugh. "No, I'm kidding. I do regret it, you didn't deserve that."

  
He smiles down at you, but composes his self quickly after. "Hey, I meant what I said earlier, though. I want to prove to you that I'm tough. But I want to know if you can handle me, too. If you beat me in a duel, I'll know you're tough too."

  
Admittedly, you're not entirely sure of his logic, but you can see this means a lot to him. "So you'll stop working with Merula, and help me... help us find the next Cursed Vault?"

  
"If... that's what means most to you. I guess."

  
You grin, "What do you mean, you guess? This whole thing was _your_ idea, you goof."

  
"Oh, yeah. My idea. Ha," he cracks his knuckles and pulls his wand from his cloak. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"

  
~*~

  
The duel is over. You drop to your knees, exhausted.

  
This has been by far your longest duel, you can't even place a time on it, your head is spinning so fast. Barnaby drudges over to you and plops down on the field next to you, equally spent. There's a tense silence from your onlookers.

  
He's breathing hard, cheeks flushed, sweat glistening off his forehead, but he has an accomplished smile beaming from his face. You sit back and look at him adoringly, he really put up an amazing fight.

  
"You won," he groans. "Haha, I almost can't believe it. I... I always thought you had to be... I dunno, _mean_ to beat someone this badly."

  
You put your hand on his in the grass, "Are you all right, B? That was actually pretty rough."

  
"I'm fine, Ros'. I'm used to it," he groans. "A few of the guys in Slytherin actually start every day by hurting each other in our rooms. They say it gets you in the right mindset."

  
"That sounds awful!"

  
"Eh, it's all I really know. When I was a kid my father often told me that I needed to be strong. Then after the Dark Lord fell... my parents were arrested and taken to Azkaban. Since then, I've just been handed around my family line until I was finally old enough to go to Hogwarts. Having to prove myself at each location... it made me stronger. Just... not strong enough, I guess."

  
"Listen, you did amazing. That was the hardest duel I've ever fought through. Even harder than the Ice Knight from the first Cursed Vault."

  
"You mean it?"

  
"Cross my heart, B. I'm really proud of you."

  
He twists his fingers in between yours in the grass and you hear an audible ' _oooo_ ' in the background from your friends.

He laughs, "You think they'll like me?"

  
"I think they already do."

  
~*~


End file.
